Chapter 2 — The Plan

Shaurya was leaning against the pillar of the college courtyard, his eyes scanning the hustle and bustle of students. His mind was still occupied with the rejection from Tanya. *I’ll make her mine, no matter what.* He clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing as he thought about his next move.

That’s when he noticed a nerdy student, carrying a stack of books, walking briskly across the campus. He was fumbling, trying to balance everything, and then — *whoops!* The stack of books flew from his hands, scattering across the floor like confetti.

Laughter erupted around him. A few students pointed, others snickered. The poor guy was turning red, visibly embarrassed.

Shaurya stood there for a second, debating whether or not to help. He was about to step forward when a figure appeared from the corner of his eye.

A girl, dressed in a white chudidar, knelt down immediately and started gathering the papers and books. Her face was calm, serene, as if she didn’t care about the laughter or the attention.

Shaurya froze. His heart skipped a beat as he watched her.

*Who is this?*

She had a soft face the kind that wasn’t loud or attention-seeking, but it held a certain quiet power. Her hair, dark and long, cascaded down her back, and her cheeks flushed with a subtle pink. She was graceful in every movement, and as she helped the boy, a smile appeared on her lips, though it was modest and innocent.

She didn’t seem to notice the onlookers. She was focused entirely on helping the embarrassed student.

Shaurya couldn’t take his eyes off her.

"She’s Tanya's sister," Dev's voice broke his trance.

Shaurya turned to his friend. "Tanya's sister?"

Dev smirked. "Yeah. Aaradhya Sharma. Quiet, innocent, the complete opposite of her sister."

Shaurya’s gaze flickered back to Aaradhya, who was now handing the last of the books back to the student. The nerd smiled in gratitude, but Aaradhya only nodded politely and turned to leave.

"What a saint," Shaurya muttered under his breath.

"She’s the complete opposite of Tanya, man,"* vikram added. "Innocent, soft, and kind-hearted. You could use her to get close to Tanya."

Shaurya’s frown deepened. "What are you saying?"

"You know, she’d be perfect. She’s close to Tanya, so maybe you could befriend her, get close to her, and then work your way to Tanya."

Shaurya’s anger flared at the mention of Tanya’s name. His hands balled into fists, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he watched Aaradhya disappear into the distance, her soft laughter blending with her friends' voices.

She’s beautiful.

He couldn’t deny the allure she had. He could already imagine how much easier it would be to get to Tanya if he used Aaradhya. But a part of him hesitated. *Is this right?*

"You really should, Shaurya," Vikram pressed. "She’s the type to be naive. It’ll be easy."

Shaurya shifted uncomfortably. "I don’t know... it feels wrong."

"It's just getting close to her," Dev added, shrugging. "Nothing wrong with making friends. Besides, you can get close to Tanya through her. Trust me, this will work."

Shaurya bit his lip, conflicted. Deep down, he knew what they were saying was true. If he wanted Tanya, this was the fastest route.

His mind raced. *I’ll just be her friend... just a friend. I’m not going to hurt her. But I need to get close to Tanya. I can do this.*

Shaurya finally exhaled, making up his mind. "Fine. I’ll do it."

Vikram and Dev exchanged knowing glances and nodded. "Good choice."

Just as they spoke, Aaradhya's group of friends approached, laughing together. There was Sanya, always the loud one, and Meera, a gentle soul, who was currently teasing Aditya. The pair was walking slightly ahead, whispering to each other with shy smiles.

“Aditya, you should totally ask Meera out already.”

Aditya blushed, scratching his head, clearly too nervous to speak. Meera just smiled at him sweetly, pushing her glasses back in place.

As Aaradhya walked behind them, her delicate eyes caught Shaurya's. She stopped for a moment, glancing at him before continuing with her friends.

Her innocence... her purity... Shaurya couldn’t help but notice.

He stood there, frozen for a moment, his eyes fixed on her. *She’s so... different.*

And then, with a shake of his head, he turned to his friends. "I’ll talk to her tomorrow."

As Aaradhya’s group passed by, Shaurya watched them leave. Sanya waved to him, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, but Shaurya barely noticed her. His focus remained on Aaradhya.

*I’ll make her my friend. And then, I’ll make Tanya mine.*

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